Directorate of Veterinary Services increases ear tag purchase quota
Following negotiations between Meat Board of Namibia and the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), the provision has now been adjusted so that the NamLITS database takes 30% growth in cattle numbers into account when calculating the quota, to provide for the rebuilding of herds after the extended drought period.
This comes after DVS implemented a quota system in which all producers, who purchase cattle ear tags from the Meat Board or its various agents, could only purchase a certain number of ear tags, depending on the quantity they qualified for in June 2020.
This quantity is automatically determined by the NamLITS database, said NamLITS South Coordinator at DVS in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Dr Janett-Star Erastus.
“The 30% increase is a simple adjustment to the formula on the database that generates the quota for each farmer so that a farmer will be able to get more ear tags on his/her quota,” Erastus explained.
The quota for the next 12 months takes into account, among other things, the number of ear tags registered or replaced by producers on the NamLITS database in the past 24 months.
However, producers who do not qualify for sufficient cattle ear tags can still apply at the NamLITS office in Windhoek to Dr Amuthenu or Dr Erastus (0811458430), or Ondangwa to Dr Luvala (0811489191) or John Ngenokesho (0811482755), for the review of the NamLITS specified quota.